Back from processor.... Help.

[turkeyfeathers]

How does anyone that uses a butcher know that they are getting their own deer and not one that was gut shot and found a day later?

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all you can do is hope.

[mlammerhirt]

How does anyone that uses a butcher know that they are getting their own deer and not one that was gut shot and found a day later?

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Its no different then gambling....roll the dice and sometimes you win...sometimes you loose.

I am under the impression the processor inspects the meat...and divides up in an appropriate manner to all customers....you will never get back the same out compared to doing it yourself.

Its a short season, and driven by quantity of deer processed to make the all mighty dollar

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[The_Real_TCIII]

They are technically required to give you your own meat thought aren't they?

[LI OUTDOORSMAN]

I know its best to cut your own meat but many people use a butcher to take care of their deer because of time restraints or no experience.The meat should be properly wrapped and labeled and FROZEN when picked up.If its to be picked up fresh then the customer should be notified ahead time so as to arrange a timely pickup.

[WNYBuckHunter]

They are technically required to give you your own meat thought aren't they?

 

No, I dont believe so. I could be wrong, but I have never seen any type of real regulation on that business.

[Dom]

The really only way to know for sure it is your deer is to cut/butcher yourself.Most butchers/shop that I know of is hooked to the venision donation system and no the deer you drop off is not the meat you are getting.This also happens with beef and hog's these guy/women never pay for the meat they eat and always get the prime cut's.And when you purchase ground beef at a super market the grind with ice so what we pay per pound is mostly water weight

[fasteddie]

They are technically required to give you your own meat thought aren't they?

 

You should be getting your own meat but that doesn't always at the processors . A lot of the burger is done in bulk and gets separated later .

I sure don't want to get venison that came from a buck that some proud hunter had in his truck bed for 5 days . I'll take my chances cutting up and packaging my own deer . 

[The_Real_TCIII]

You should be getting your own meat but that doesn't always at the processors . A lot of the burger is done in bulk and gets separated later .

I sure don't want to get venison that came from a buck that some proud hunter had in his truck bed for 5 days . I'll take my chances cutting up and packaging my own deer .

thats why I do mine at home, don't want to toss it on that steaming pile of deer. Especially if it's the first couple days

[zeus1gdsm]

and so it begins. Told the wife I need a good dehydrator for Xmas.

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[wolc123]

Those food-saver vacuum sealers work pretty good.   I have (2) only because my 11 year old one stopped working prior to deer season last year and I did not want to be without.   Before I tossed it in the trash, I took apart the pump and found a single, tiny spec of grit on the main diaphragm.   I took that out, reassembled, and it works just like it did when new. Now I have a backup if it ever dies for good.   I use it year round for fish and game.    It keeps the fish tasting fresh much longer than my former method of putting the fillets in zip-lock bags, filling with water, then freezing.  We had some that was caught in June for dinner tonight and it tasted like it was just filleted.  For fish, I dry the fillets with paper towels prior to vacuum sealing.  Also, without the ice, the packages thaw out and are ready to cook much faster.    

 

Your next purchase should be a grinder.   An old refrigerator comes in handy too, for aging the skinned quarters, when it is too warm to just hang the skin-on carcass.  While many folks have an old "beer fridge" out in the garage, for us its primarily a "deer fridge".   A couple sharp knives and a heavy duty table come in handy also.   I am thankful that my wife helps out with the cleanup of all the gear, except for the grinder housing which I scrub out after every use.  She also usually runs the vacuum sealer.         

 

The only way you know you get your own meat back from a butcher is trust.   When I was young, we had an old retired butcher in the neighborhood who I never doubted always gave me back my own deer.   It has to be tough with some of these big seasonal shops, given that 1/2 the total deer kill usually occurs on opening weekend of gun season.   Knowing you get your own back is the best part of doing it yourself, but learning where to shoot for minimal meat damage is also good (its hard to beat the broadside, center lung shot in that regard).  The money you save is the least of the benefits.             

[SteveB]

Its no different then gambling....roll the dice and sometimes you win...sometimes you loose.

I am under the impression the processor inspects the meat...and divides up in an appropriate manner to all customers....you will never get back the same out compared to doing it yourself.

Its a short season, and driven by quantity of deer processed to make the all mighty dollar

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I know 2 local processors that cut, grind and wrap each deer separately.

Really not that hard to do.

[Buckmaster7600]

I look at processing your own deer the same as I do handloading ammo. I do my own and I enjoy it. I don't have to worry about it being someone else's deer or if it was handled properly. Just like the ammo I build I know they were assembled properly or if not I know who to blame. It's another part of the whole hunting aspect that I love.

[HENRY FAIRWEATHER]

I would get that meat out of them styrofoam boats and rewrap with plastic wrap and freezer paper, or within a month gonna be freezer burnt.  DO YOURSELF A FAVOR.

[Five Seasons]

It doesnt matter how you are setup, it always takes longer to clean in preperation to start and clean again when you are done, than it takes to actually cut the deer up. I skin and quarter in my garage, and then debone, trim, bag and grind in my kitchen. Nothing special about my setup really.

 

agreed. my family has a barn with 4 hangers, tables, industrial saws and grinders, hose and floor drain and hot water. the place is like a production facility when we have a few hanging and a group to help. sports on the tv and good times to be had.

 

At my house I just have a gambrel in the garage. I skin and clean and cut inside. I still have the tv and music but it's not ideal. Generally I put down some cardboard or plastic wrap. But it's a process that's not for everyone for sure.

 

all in all I have $300 in vac sealer and grinder. Another $30 in gamrle/hoist setup, $40 for processing kit http://www.cabelas.com/product/outdoor-edge-wild-pak-game-processing-kit/1867203.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dprocessing%26x%3D10%26y%3D6%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%252BProducts&Ntt=processingplus a few kitchen knives.

 

You can make your money back easy quick. It really comes down to the price you put on your time. What I think some forget is the time it takes to drive to and back from the processor twice. The cost of gas to do that and the cost of the processor. the quality of the facility etc. I doubt many of us live 5 min from our guy.

 

[dbHunterNY]

I'd get a different processor.  meat doesn't look right... tasting right is subjective.  also for the love of game they don't vacuum pack and label the stuff they do??  every commercial processor I know of does.  I can see ground or bulk sausage being in sleeves but come on!  that price isn't a deal it's just the going rate.

 

what you'd need that I got from one of my posts in another thread....

 

- game gambrel hoist and place to hang

- good grinder with sausage end and two size plates (forget the hole size #s)

- meat pans that'll fit in a frig.

- good vacuum sealer (bigger than 8" wide to do roasts)

- a few cheap Dexter Russell flexible boning knives

- cheap $5 fixed angle carbide/ceramic sharpener

- sharpie marker

- (optional) electric smoker with digital shutoff timer

- (optional) nitrile gloves

 

...that'll get you well on your way to do just about anything with deer processing, minus consumable items.  if you're more serious I'd guess you could get a meat mixer.  if you're good a plastic block top butcher table and a meat hook will speed things up for deal with quarters.

[Five Seasons]

i can not speak to the longevity of this grinder as it's only going on the second season and 4 deer, but it's well built and has great reviews. I double grind and grind pieces well over what they recommend and it hasn't bucked on me once. keep your plates and your wheel matched, clean it good and place the parts in the freezer before grinding and you'll be happy.

http://www.amazon.com/STX-INTERNATIONAL-STX-3000-TF-Turboforce-Attachment/dp/B0012KJBR0/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1449165544&sr=1-5&keywords=meat+grinder

 

if i was to do my vac sealer over again i'd buy one with a bag holder and cutter on it. There was some good black friday deals but my sealer for $80 still works just fine and I couldn't justify it.

Edited December 3, 2015 by Belo

[fasteddie]

When I grind the venison , I use the coarse plate 1st and then the smaller plate on what I had just ground . I just bought another grinder ... a Weston with the stuffing tubes . I went on line and bought some Weston Vacuum Sealing bags and also bought some of the 2# tube bags for the burger . Now all I need is another deer . 

[Critter4321]

Same here I grind mine through a 5/16 plate then dump into my meat mixer I also pack burger into the bags good investment just twist and tape them I do use a sausage press to put them in the bags however you can use your grinder just takes a little effort

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